Top Tags

Tag REAL

An exemplary demonstration by Ira Glass from This American Life how to deal with inaccurate sources when you are doing a journalism piece. And how to retract it if you have run such a piece based on falsified information.

Boris Johnson, the London Mayor turns up at Clapham Junction during the height of riot season – the speaker in this video is critical, and a Policeman makes the mistake of grabbing his arm to try and silence him.

5th April 2010 10:44 EST WikiLeaks has released a classified US military video depicting the indiscriminate slaying of over a dozen people in the Iraqi suburb of New Baghdad — including two Reuters news staff.
Reuters has been trying to obtain the video through the Freedom of Information Act, without success since the time of the attack. The video, shot from an Apache helicopter gun-site, clearly shows the unprovoked slaying of a wounded Reuters employee and his rescuers. Two young children involved in the rescue were also seriously wounded.

The military did not reveal how the Reuters staff were killed, and stated that they did not know how the children were injured.
After demands by Reuters, the incident was investigated and the U.S. military concluded that the actions of the soldiers were in accordance with the law of armed conflict and its own “Rules of Engagement”.
Consequently, WikiLeaks has released the classified Rules of Engagement for 2006, 2007 and 2008, revealing these rules before, during, and after the killings.
WikiLeaks has released both the original 38 minutes video and a shorter version with an initial analysis. Subtitles have been added to both versions from the radio transmissions.
WikiLeaks obtained this video as well as supporting documents from a number of military whistleblowers. WikiLeaks goes to great lengths to verify the authenticity of the information it receives. We have analyzed the information about this incident from a variety of source material. We have spoken to witnesses and journalists directly involved in the incident.
WikiLeaks wants to ensure that all the leaked information it receives gets the attention it deserves. In this particular case, some of the people killed were journalists that were simply doing their jobs: putting their lives at risk in order to report on war. Iraq is a very dangerous place for journalists: from 2003- 2009, 139 journalists were killed while doing their work.

There’s an old saying that if you’re pointed in the right direction, all you have to do is keep walking.

Or as Calvin Coolidge put it, it’s all about persistence:

”””

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

Just keep on going: a great philosophy for any entrepreneur, exec, manager, designer, even entire organizations.

There’s just one hitch, though… did you catch it?

Absolutely all of it – 100% of this approach – depends on having the right direction. Without that one little element, the entire effort is for naught.

I’m reminded of Alice, who asked the Cheshire Cat, “which way [should I] go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

It’s not a small matter, to find the right direction. I should know (and should admit) – my entire consulting career has been focused on setting people out on a more customer-centered, user-centered, or patient-centered direction. It’s not easy.

Why is finding direction (or “strategy,” as I generally call it) so rare, so difficult? One reason is that creating the strategy is different from execution.

Put another way: you have to stop and take time to find the direction. You can’t run while you’re reading the map.

…which are great and all, except when there’s no well-thought-out direction to go in.

So be forewarned – it’s hard to be a strategist. People prefer action. “Ready-fire-aim” sounds so much more exciting and appealing. “Do something!” they say – and it can be hard to sit down and say hey, let’s take at least a couple of days to think about who our customers are and talk to them about what they need.

(You do talk to your customers, right? Because that’s a necessary step in finding your direction.)

Without direction, we’re presenting our flipcharts and our powerpoints to the Cheshire Cat. And he just griiiiiiins.

In uncertain times, creative strategy in business has never been more valuable.

Reflecting the economic challenges on every firm’s mind, Lisa Tse has printed its own currency, Design Dollars, to distribute to friends and clients during these tough times.

These signature black one hundred design dollar bills can be shared and represent the commercial value design affords, where creative thinking plays an integral part in any successful business strategy.

Lisa Tse Design Dollars have been produced in a limited circulation.

Lucky recipients are invited to explore new opportunities and witness the dividends a creative approach to business can deliver

schools can’t get much greener than this. China’s Dongzhong primary school resides in a natural mountain cave in Guizhou province. As of 2007, the humble school accommodated 186 students with a teaching staff of 8.